(New York) American-Canadian singer Neil Young makes good on his threat: After accusing Spotify of misinformation about COVID-19 by hosting popular and controversial Joe Rogan’s podcast, he confirmed on Wednesday his spectacular decision to withdraw his music of the streaming platform.
Posted at 7:16 p.m.
“I want to thank my very large and supportive record label Warner Brothers-Reprise Records who support me in my decision to remove all my music from Spotify,” the 76-year-old musician wrote on his website, noting that the platform represents 60% of its revenue generated by streaming.
Neil Young has 2.4 million subscribers and more than six million listeners per month on Spotify, the world leader in music streaming. But Joe Rogan’s podcast, exclusive content from the Swedish platform, which has accumulated millions of plays, was number 1 on Spotify in 2021.
“Spotify has become a place for potentially deadly misinformation about COVID-19. Lies sold for money, ”says Neil Young in his message.
The prolific singer, known for his titles heart of gold and Harvest Moon, also cites a letter from more than 200 doctors and scientists, who recently asked the platform to act after a “very controversial” episode of The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), broadcast on December 31.
“This episode is criticized for promoting baseless conspiracy theories and the JRE has a disturbing history of spreading false information, particularly regarding the COVID-19 pandemic,” they wrote.
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, his music was still available on the platform, but it should be removed in the coming hours, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“We have removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. We regret Neil’s decision to withdraw his music from Spotify, but we hope to welcome him back soon, “also confirmed a spokesperson for the platform, quoted by several American media.
The popular Joe Rogan, whose contract signed with Spotify last year is estimated at 100 million dollars, is accused of having discouraged vaccination among young people and of having pushed for the use of an unauthorized treatment, ivermectin, against the virus.
“They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,” said Neil Young, whose latest album, Barn, was released in late 2021. The long-lived folk rock singer had said he hoped other artists and record labels would follow suit.